Meet Dorota Szwoch

I work in the Swedish market, which has given me insight into the complex impacts of climate change in a Northern European context. I did a one-year Erasmus exchange at Lund University in Sweden. Now, one of my friends from Lund is also my colleague at COWI’s Gothenburg office. 

While global warming is often intuitively linked to a decrease in water resources, including groundwater, the reality is more nuanced. In Scandinavia, for instance, melting glaciers can have the opposite effect, leading to an excess of water in certain regions.  

The hydrogeological response to climate change depends on a range of interacting factors, such as latitude and topographical setting, resulting in varying patterns and dynamics across different areas. 

This dynamic directly affects the infrastructure we work on at COWI, making the role of a hydrogeologist responsible, challenging and engaging.

My current focus is the Kolmården railway project in Sweden. While promoting low-emission transportation and reducing transport exclusion align strongly with our environmental values, ensuring the long-term functionality of the construction usually requires some lowering of the groundwater table. 

This does, however, come at the cost of disturbing the local water balance. That is why it is essential that any interference with the natural environment be carried out as carefully and predictably as possible, with timely and appropriate countermeasures.
I’m excited to be part of this process by building and working with numerical groundwater flow models that let us test different scenarios and predict how the infrastructure might affect hydrogeological conditions.

I also conduct statistical analyses of the highest possible groundwater levels over the lifespan of the construction, a key factor for ensuring proper design and resilience of the infrastructure.

I really enjoy the day-to-day in our Warsaw office. We are a small group, so we all know each other well, and with our varied technical backgrounds, there is always something new to learn beyond our own areas of expertise. We also socialise after work, which adds to the friendly atmosphere.

Besides my work at COWI, I’m also a cellist. Being both an engineer and a musician is a big part of who I am.

Not long ago, nearly half of my office colleagues came to a concert where I played cello in an orchestra. My colleagues even shared a video from the event with my boss in Wrocław! I think it really shows how great the working environment at COWI is.